Dr. Varun Bhargava, M.D. of CARE
Dr. Pendse
Today, on the occasion of World Diabetic Day “Nagpur Today’ spoke to Dr. Pendse to learn what the situation of this disease is like in Nagpur; what he told us was very alarming.
“I am seeing an alarming number of very young people, in their late teens or early twenties too coming in with ‘sugar’. This is mostly due to a radical change in eating habits with kids, specially from affluent families, rejecting home food or Indian food totally and preferring to eat only fast food like Burgers, pasta, pizza and noodles. All of them are made from ‘maida'( refined flour) and are very harmful. Added to bad eating habits is lack of exercise in growing up years – most ‘games’ children play these days are computer or smart phone games!” Said Dr. Pendse.
The third factor that leads to diabetes is STRESS. “Among 30 to 40 year old Nagpurians, there seems to be an epidemic of this disease” Dr. Pendse made this shocking disclosure.
“Unhealthy life style coupled with frustration and stress is an ideal condition for diabetes to occur.”
The Doctor also elaborated that till now it has been mostly an urban disease. The number of people affected in rural areas is 4% to 5% while in metros it is 10% and above.
Is the rate less among Nagpurians? NT asked, thinking since Nagpurians have less stress than people living in bigger cities like Mumbai and Pune, hopefully we are healthier.
” Sadly, it is more” the Doctor quipped. He explained “in Mumbai or Pune, friends cannot plan to get together casually in the evenings due to distance and working hours. But in Nagpur, plans can be made within minutes and in half an hour a group assembles to go out for dinner. In a peer group the food ( and drinks!) consumed are often more and unhealthier than home food.”
What is Diabetes and how does it occur?
Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
The World Diabetes Day, an annual event was created by the International Diabetes Federation to raise awareness about the chronic disorder that affects 382 million people worldwide.
But for some reason Indians are known to be more prone to this ailment. Why is that so?
“We are genetically more vulnerable and predisposed to diabetes because of our body structure” explained the Doctor. “Our fat to muscle ratio is more compared to others like Cauceseans or Black and we tend to accumulate fat cells easier”.
Dr. Varun Bhargava, M.D. of CARE and renowned Physician of Nagpur had somber information to give to all diabetic and pre diabetic people –
“About 80% of such patients will have cardio vascular disease and will have either a heart attack or stroke sometime in life. So he must consult a Cardiologist and be under his supervision so he sees such a problem developing. Not many diabetics know this unfortunately.”
Can one ever reverse Type two diabetes once it has set in? We asked.
“In very few circumstances it can be reversed. When a woman has it during pregnancy; when an obese person manages to lose weight sufficiently or when some medication that has to be taken for other conditions is stopped.”
Sr. Nita Kochar, Diabetologist of CARE cautions that anyone who has a history of diabetes in the family or has other conditions like BP or obesity should look out for these symtoms which indicate they may be suffering from diabetes.
- Sudden change in weight – either loss or gain.
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Giddiness
Dr. Pendse’s parting words of advise to everyone, specially parents is –
EXERCISE REGULARLY – at least five times a week and for 30 minutes at a stretch. (But let not the fact that you are exercising be seen as a passport for other sinful things like drinking and over eating).- Eat a variety of food – go in for different fruits and vegetables; vary your food grains and even your cooking oils. An easy way to achieve this is to eat multi colored food. Ensure there are greens, yellows, reds and whites in your food – naturally.
- Stress Management – follow whatever process suits you or appeals to you. Meditation, Music or some creative hobby like gardening, painting etc.
BE HAPPY AND BE SUAGAR FREE!
